


Lowdown and Dirty

by Karalyn



Category: Foreigner Series - C. J. Cherryh
Genre: Angst, I love writing Bren angst, Rated C for Cherryh, advanced tactical flirting, everyone picks on Bren, games assassins play, ie it's no more or less appropriate than what's in canon, politics politics politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-03 10:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10965588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karalyn/pseuds/Karalyn
Summary: Ilisidi always has more than one reason for everything she does.  Including Filing Intent on the paidhi-aiji.





	Lowdown and Dirty

Knocking on doors was not feasible on the space station, one rang the chime instead; so, when the door chimed, it was only a notice that it was about to open.

“Nandi.” Jago entered the room that served as Bren’s station-side office, her manner urgent. “The aiji-dowager has just Filed Intent.”

Bren blinked, parsing the implied object of that sentence.

“On _me_?”

“Yes.”

Bren stared up at Jago, at a loss for words.

“The _aiji-dowager_ Filed Intent on me?”

“Yes, nandi,” Jago said, and if she felt any impatience with his flat non-comprehension, it did not show. She was completely blank-faced.

“And the Guild accepted the Filing?”

“It is… a trifle complicated, nandi.”

“I just had breakfast with her last week before we came up to the station,” Bren said, mostly to himself, trying not to panic. “What could I have possibly done in a week that would have so offended her?”  She had even invited him to go riding in Taiben this spring when he had managed to spend several consecutive months on the planet, a personal enjoyment he had made time for, though it had played havoc with his schedule for weeks after. He thought rapidly through everything he had taken part in before he left the planet. The most recent meetings of the legislative session he had managed to attend had been mostly preoccupied with sorting out a dispute of modernized irrigation and water rights in the southern mountain clans, nothing to do with the East at all. She had _agreed_ with him on that one, for god’s sake. And now she wanted to assassinate him?

But… this should be answerable. The whole purpose of having to File Intent with the Assassin’s Guild before carrying out a legal assassination was so that the aggressor had to prove a legitimate grievance that justified the removal of the other party.

“What was her complaint in the Filing?” he asked Jago who had been standing silently, watching him, while his brain raced. She wordlessly handed him a paper; a copy of the Filing that they had clearly just printed out and even not bothered to roll into a formal scroll. He took it, skipping through all the formal language and required titles and honors and formulas that clouded the document’s preface.

_… And in the witness of such company the aiji-dowager claims personal grievance against the Lord of Najida in his embarrassing and graceless rejection of her person, and the offered association which should be a great honor for any lord of the aishidi’tat to accept…_

Bren looked up from the document at Jago who still showed him no expression, but who—he now strongly suspected—was repressing laughter. Another sound at the door and Banichi came in.

“The household is secure, Bren-ji,” Banichi said, looking far too pleased with himself.

“Nadiin-ji,” Bren said, very tightly holding on to his tone in the front of a sudden wave of emotion. “Am I to understand that the aiji-dowager has just Filed Intent on the paidhi-aiji, officially, on paper— in public record for the archives, available to the access of the whole aishidi’tat— on the grievance that I supposedly _refused to sleep with her_?”

Banichi grinned at him.

Bren muttered a few choice words in Ragi, none of which should ever be said in polite company.

“Explain, nadiin,” Bren said, a trifle rudely. It was clear he was the butt of this particular joke and he wanted to know why.

“Lord Caratho was about to File Intent on you, nandi,” Banichi explained, reverting to formality in response to Bren’s terse response. “The timing of the Filing was such that it waited until your bodyguard and most of Tabini-aiji’s own were out of Shejidan and could not be present to vote.” Tabini had taken his family to Taiben for a brief respite from the summer heat in the capitol, Bren was aware, not long after Bren had taken the shuttle flight to the station.  Removing a block of votes in the Guild that would be sure to vote opposing any Filing against the aiji’s representative.

It was underhanded, certainly, but for all Bren knew it might still be legal.

“The aiji’s staff reports that Tabini-aiji was also taken by surprise in this move,” Banichi continued. “There was certain support from within the Guild Council that meant there was a legitimate risk of the Filing being accepted. One understands that the aiji-dowager found out in advance through her various sources that this was going to take place and Filed first.”

“But it _is_ possible for more than one party to File against the same lord, is it not?” Bren asked.

“It is, Bren-ji, however in this case, a Filing by a lesser lord would be unlikely to be accepted over a Filing by a greater lord. And the aiji-dowager is of sufficient rank that she would be completely justified in taking personal offense against Lord Caratho should he attempt to encroach on her prerogatives in such a way. She would be within her rights to File against _him_ should he try to preempt her in such an action.”

And a lord of such a minor clan would have very little hope of any Guild agent infiltrating Ilisidi’s fully Eastern staff, not in any of her holdings, and he would find himself quickly eliminated. Bren began to see how this little game had played out.

“It is a political ploy,” Bren said, sighing with relief. Political ploys he could deal with.

“It is, Bren-ji,” Banichi said. “Indeed, one strongly suspects that the aiji-dowager may have had this Filing drafted and saved for such an occasion ever since Tabini-aiji solidified the paidhi-aiji’s status as a Lord of the Association, against whom proper Filings must take place.” Following her own failed attempt to assassinate the paidhi-aiji, that was, back before Tabini had sent him to Malguri to win her over, what felt like a million years ago.

It would be just like Ilisidi to have done so, Bren decided. The aiji-dowager kept her intentions cloaked in plots within plots and could play—and win—five different games against five different opponents simultaneously.

“And how, then did _this_ Filing pass Guild vote, nadiin-ji? The vote on behalf of Lord Caratho was going to be close, you said, and the aiji-dowager has never been in great favor with the majority of the western factions.” He floundered, looking for words. “Does not the Guild resent being used in this way?”

“One is given to understand, Bren-ji,” Jago said, with a wry smile, “that those persons who are opposed to the paidhi-aiji voted for it in the hopes that the aiji-dowager might be in earnest, as a person who might be able to actually succeed in such an assassination, not fearing damaging reprisals from Tabini-aiji. And that those persons who support the paidhi-aiji are, with a few exceptions, well aware of the fact that he has long enjoyed a place in the aiji-dowager’s good graces, and thought the Filing was particularly clever and useful in his protection, while being legally plausible enough to support.”

Delightful. Part the Guild had voted for it because they wanted him dead, and the rest had voted for it because they thought it was funny. Clearly the two Assassins standing in front of him thought it was funny, even if they had not been present for the vote. Although if they had been present, their votes opposing any Filing against their lord would have been automatic. One hoped.

“It would be extremely impolitic for any parties to suggest that the aiji-dowager’s Filing was in any way frivolous,” Jago added after a pause.

Bren sighed again. It was just as well he wasn’t speaking to Mospheira much these days—he wasn’t sure how he would explain this mess to the Foreign Office. He held out some hope they wouldn't find out at all, except that they were on the station and the message had reached them here. One had to trust in the security of communications that were only slightly more secure than those under the hand of the Messengers Guild.

“Is there any chance, nadiin-ji, that the dowager’s filing is in earnest?” Bren asked. He hated to ask. “Is it possible that this is a cover for some move against me?”

Banichi shrugged.

“It is always possible, Bren-ji, but it seems highly unlikely. If she wished to have you assassinated, one highly doubts she would do it in such a manner.”

“Was there any message from the aiji?”

“No, Bren-ji.”

Bren opened the program on his computer to draft a letter to Tabini, and stared at the screen for a rather long time before attempting to write.

 

 _Aiji-ma, one has learned with great dismay that one has apparently so offended your honored grandmother the aiji-dowager that she has seen no recourse but to File Intent on the paidhi-aiji, which information one is certain you have already been given. One assumes that it would best serve your interests in the_ _maintenance of one’s own safety to remain on the station until this matter has been resolved; however, if the aiji has any instruction or advice, one waits most anxiously to receive it.”_

Translation: what the hell do I do now?

He didn’t have the luxury of waiting for a reply, however, because he had a meeting with the Mospheiran union reps to deal with. Whether or not he still worked for the State Department was a delicate topic, but regardless, when the atevi worker groups and human worker groups needed to sort out an agreement, he was the logical go-to.

He was dismayed when all four of his security insisted on going with him. The aiji-dowager had left a minimal staff of her own on the station to maintain her residence there, they pointed out.

“You’re taking this as a serious threat, then, nadiin-ji?” was Bren’s distressed question to his aishid.

“It does no harm to take it seriously, nandi,” Banichi said. “Even should it turn out to be unnecessary, one would never wish to give the impression that the paidhi-aiji’s security is anything but vigilant. And it gives us the opportunity to keep up certain habits. Think of it as a security drill if you prefer.”

Security drill it might be; on the other hand, it was awkward to explain to the Mospheirans. The humans on the station were, by now, used to seeing Bren accompanied by one pair of his guards or the other, rarely both. Let them know about the potential threat? Mospheirans were prone to believe that a threat to Bren was a threat to any human, not having the understanding that atevi did that he was technically a lord of the aishidi’tat, and that any Guild action against him must by definition preclude the involvement of civilians. It was likely not going to be a pleasant meeting.

 

 

Returning to his apartment a few hours later found all quiet, and Tano and Algini returned to the security station while Banichi and Jago shadowed him.

“Is there any message from the aiji, nadiin-ji?” Bren asked.

“Not yet, Bren-ji,” Banichi said.

Bren shook his head. He should work on the proposals for the Mospheiran representatives to the atevi worker’s union, while his notes were fresh in his mind. Or he could double check the translations that were now, heaven help him, being done by computer on certain station items, mostly non-essential instructions or directions. But the meeting with the Mospheirans had exhausted him; one of the union reps, Gaithings was his name, had raised a fuss about his being accompanied by the extra guard. He was a most disagreeable man, and Bren suspected he’d be shipped back to the planet as a liability sooner or later. He was far too prejudiced against atevi as a whole to be of any use in the mixed environment of the station, and seemed to have taken a personal dislike to Bren himself.

After staring at his computer screen uselessly for almost an hour, he gave in to Narani’s gentle suggestions and went to bed. He was close to dozing off when Jago came into the bedroom, undressed and got into bed with him.

“What, aren’t you going to stand guard at the door, since there’s such a threat,” Bren grumbled, still out of sorts.

“The bed is more comfortable,” Jago said blithely, “though one can certainly stand guard at the door if the paidhi wishes.”

“No,” Bren said with a sigh, and moved closer to her. “You’re too warm; if you leave I’ll probably freeze to death and then it will all be moot anyway.”

“A serious risk that should not be discounted.”

“My staff all seems very sanguine about this. One had the idea that one’s dignity as a lord was of concern.”

 “The paidhi-aiji is concerned for his reputation?” Jago sounded amused.

“For my reputation, I suppose, Jago-ji. And the mail my office will receive.”

“Do you anticipate an increase in death threats or marriage proposals?”

His office kept a running tally of both.

“Both,” Bren said, laughing in spite of himself. “Actually, perhaps it will cut back on the marriage proposals for a while. Dasibi-nadi will probably run a pool on that. I must remember to place a bet this time.”

“One doubts it will have that great an effect, Bren-ji. It is well known that the aiji-dowager considers you within her man’chi, despite your association with her grandson. Such associations are understood to occur.”

“Not among humans they’re not!”

“Humans are widely understood to be promiscuous.”

Bren only just managed not to choke on his own tongue.

“Are we?”

“Of course. Most humans seem apt to associate recklessly with whomever they encounter, do they not?”

The word in Ragi that was usually translated to “promiscuous” in human language simply meant someone who pursued many transient associations. There was no differentiation between sexual and non-sexual associations—both were considered equally risky from the atevi viewpoint, where association was biologically driven and usually life-long. It explained a lot of things about the differences in their two cultures. Combine that with the human tendency to be openly expressive of emotions with strangers and the Mospheiran social habit of casual touch… well, humans probably _were_ promiscuous when viewed through the atevi mindset. Bren wondered if aijiin, with their different nature, were exempt from such social rules and if that was part of why the dowager seemed to thrive on the rumors about her.

“My mother will be so proud,” he said sarcastically.

There was a lengthy pause while Bren tried to herd his worries in a sensible direction.

“I feel like there must be _something_ I should do.”

He felt rather than saw Jago shrug.

“The situation is not in any way of your making, Bren-ji. No one knew what the aiji-dowager was planning. You were already on the station, in the most secure location we would have chosen for you to be in such an instance. Therefore, you do not even have to risk the political damage of being seen as retreating from a threat. It is highly unlikely that anything you could do would dissuade Lord Caratho from his campaign against you.”

“Short of having given his township the manufacturing plant,” Bren said. “Or resigning.”

“Short of your resignation five years ago, yes, Bren-ji. Resigning now would only strip you of the resources that protect you.”

Her and Banichi. Tano and Algini. Narani, Bindanda, Jeladi, all the other members of his household who had become his family. He thought of going back to Mospheira, working in the University perhaps, leaving the job of paidhi-aiji to someone else, and he felt sick to his stomach.

“One has no intention of resigning, Jago-ji. By no means.”

 

*****

 

Morning found that Tabini had finally sent a reply. Probably, Bren thought glumly, the aiji had taken that much time to stop laughing so that he could be bothered to write it.

Not only was there a letter from Tabini, but one from Geigi as well. He read the aiji’s letter first; to his relief it sounded more exasperated than amused.

_Though we would never wish to imply that our esteemed grandmother’s timing is anything less than precise, paidhi-ji, we admit to some concern since she has already reserved seating on the shuttle that goes up to the station in eleven days’ time, along with Lord Geigi, to officiate at the ceremony to appoint Lord Geigi as the atevi head of station. We have assurances from Cenedi that there will be no disruption of the ceremony due to the Guild action officially on the books. One hardly knows whether our honored grandmother will not possibly have the associated matter resolved within that time, or if she has some other plan underway. She is nothing if not resourceful._

Bren took the other scroll and read it; Geigi’s letter said, in short, that the aiji had briefed him on the situation, and though he was within the dowager’s man’chi he did not in any way support her Filing against Bren and that his staff had no need to fear attack from his household. Geigi had been perfectly formal and polite but it was clear he also found the whole situation amusing. He rolled the message up precisely and put it back into the message bowl, giving Banichi a flat look.

“The aiji-dowager is coming up on the next shuttle with Lord Geigi, Banichi-ji,” he said.

“So one understands, Bren-ji.”

“Is there any chance this matter with the dowager will be resolved before then or will we have to attend the ceremony for Lord Geigi while completely avoiding the aiji-dowager in some implausible manner?” His presence for the ceremony itself was a given, granted that he not only was needed to translate for one side or the other, (Jase _might_ be able to manage it, but Bren would prefer not to leave it to chance,) but that his not being there to represent the aiji and so pay honor Geigi would be a slight, and one that he refused to give to such a generous associate as Geigi.

Banichi shrugged.

“Possibly. We will deal with matters regardless, Bren-ji. Do not worry.”

Don’t worry. His guard might as well tell him not to breathe in and out.

 

 

The shuttle arrived on schedule, eleven days later. Bren’s guard informed him that he should by no means meet Ilisidi at the dock as he normally would have, and that he would be well within the expectations of propriety to decline any invitations to dine with the aiji-dowager, neither of which did anything to improve his glum mood.

“It seems unlikely that she would issue such an invitation,” Tano remarked. “It would be quite brazen of her.”

“I’m sorry, are we speaking of the same woman?” Bren asked irritably.  “I suspect the aiji-dowager would be delighted to be known as the lord who Filed Intent on the paidhi-aiji and then invited him to dinner.”

“And do you, nandi, wish to be known as the lord who was Filed against and then _accepted_ the dinner invitation?” Banichi asked him. Bren didn’t even dignify that with a response.

Jase agreed to go down to meet the shuttle on his behalf, once Bren managed to get to Jase's office for a conference. And once Jase stopped laughing at the copy of the Filing that Bren had shown him while trying to explain the situation. Bren had, in fact, put off telling Jase for several days, hoping that the entire matter would go away, but such was his luck.

Getting secondhand reports through Jase was by no means his preferred means of staying current with matters, but it wasn’t the worst option available, he supposed. Jase did pass word that Cenedi had requested one of Bren’s guard come over for a conference.  Oh, and Bren did not like that. It was all of a sudden too dangerous for him to be in Ilisidi’s vicinity but his guard was supposed to go? Not, he told himself firmly, that Ilisidi had any real reason to want to harm him _or_ his guard, who were actually Tabini’s people; and in fact Tabini would probably be very angry with her if she attacked one of his guard.  Banichi and Cenedi had apparently agreed to meet in neutral territory—the hallway between their two residences. But despite Bren's worries Banichi returned in good order, holding something in his hand, which he showed to Jago, Tano and Algini. It was a small round rock, almost a pebble, very unusually colored. If it were in a pile of similarly sized rocks, Bren was sure he’d be able to pick it out from others of similar size and shape with relative ease.

“Ah,” Algini said, sounding interested and almost cheerful, and Tano also looked pleased. That was worth a pause; Algini’s hobbies on-world had always semmed to revolve around traps and explosives. His time on the station necessarily curtailed such hobbies, for the most part, and he and Tano had become experts in the newest types of surveillance technology.

“What is it, nadiin-ji?” Bren asked.

“It is a Guild training exercise, Bren-ji,” Jago said. “A very pointed message from Cenedi.”

“I see,” Bren said, not seeing at all.

“It is a challenge, nandi,” Algini said, uncharacteristically volunteering information. “But one that precludes harm to you. A game that, by its nature, is without lethal force.”

There were apparently three stones, all different, all distinctive; though Algini said the number of potential stones was unlimited, for this exercise they had agreed on fortunate three. The object was the place the stones within the other party’s territory – in such a way as a trap or poison would be placed if they were actually attempting an assassination.  The limited number, in this case, left some doubt in Bren’s mind to what might be considered the mental methods of the game; if one party were in possession of two stones, for example, they would still know that a third might turn up hidden at any moment. Should one party hold all three, delaying to try and place one against the other party could become a matter of psychological warfare. As if Guild weren’t normally paranoid enough, Bren thought.            

Still, it was something new, a practice that he gathered had deep historical roots, and Bren took notes until his guards started taking pains not to discuss the matter in front of him or allow him to see what they were doing. They spent the hour after meal times quizzing Bren on the Guild hand signs they had taught him, the ones that he might need to know in an emergency to communicate with them.  He noted there were planning sessions on how to get a pebble into this or that location, but eventually grew distracted with the plans for Lord Geigi’s ceremony, and he grew used to the heightened security that, truly, was only slightly more rigorous than it had become on the planet. His staff seemed to be enjoying themselves, but it was always with that edge that told him that they considered it not _quite_ a game. Though it was him they were protecting, he felt almost superfluous to the process.

A pebble showed up in a delivery of flowers, for example; it was confiscated, and the flowers were sent to Lord Geigi’s new residence. The flowers would normally have been discarded, Jago told him, but due to their scarcity on the station it would have been an excessive waste to destroy the blooms. Plans for the ceremony set the station abuzz with activity, and Bren had plenty to occupy him and take his mind off the lack of contact with the aiji-dowager. As it happened, Ilisidi did not send a dinner invitation. Not exactly.

“A formal reception?” Bren asked, dismayed.

Narani, who had brought the message bowl with the scroll, bowed apologetically.

“For the station population as a whole, with a buffet, yes. It would seem so, nandi.”

“And by making it a state affair, it becomes impossible for me to decline the invitation without it reflecting on Tabini-aiji.”

“Essentially, yes, nandi.”

"Delightful. I assume, then, 'Rani-ji, that I will be wearing the bulletproof vest?" Narani nodded graciously in agreement.

 

*****

 

The reception was, officially, to introduce Lord Geigi to the station at large. It was more heavily-attended than Bren had expected; how had so many people managed to get leave from their work? Bren noted that there were even quite a number of the ship’s crew who were able to attend, apparently having come to witness and perhaps to partake of the novelty of food from the planet. The buffet was lined up along one wall, with a few of the dowager’s guard standing watch over it. The few items unsafe for humans to eat were clearly labeled in Mosphei’ and Bren suspected the guards had orders to physically intervene should any human attendees be so distracted or so curious as to disregard the signs. It was Bren’s place to stand with Geigi and introduce him to the attendees in whichever language was required. And there were a lot of attendees. The aiji-dowager, Bren noticed to his relief, stayed mostly to the head of the room where, as host, she presided.

During a lull in the introductions, Ramirez came over to where Bren and Geigi were standing, making small talk.

“Captain Ramirez,” Bren greeted him with a small reflexive bow.

“Mr. Cameron,” Ramirez said, nodding politely. “Is there some problem?”

“Problem, sir?”

“With the aiji-dowager. In the past when she has visited the station, you’ve doted on her. This time you haven’t met with her once since she arrived. You two are circling each other around this room like opponents in a ring. And you have more of your guard with you than you normally bring out and about.”

God, Bren thought. Ramirez was astute and certainly cautious when it came to what he considered his own territory. Bren had not translated the copy of the Filing that had been sent to the station the way he normally translated such announcement from the mainland. Because, he had told himself, it was none of their business. Apparently, Jase hadn’t translated it for Ramirez either. Thank heaven for small favors; he didn’t want that joke getting out among the ship’s crew.

“Atevi politics,” Bren said mildly. It was, for once, completely true. “One is assured the matter will blow over soon.” Ramirez’s attention was briefly taken by something elsewhere in the room. Bren looked around, seeing that a solitary ateva, an unusual sight in and of itself, had been heading toward them, only to pause visibly and look toward the head of the room. Bren glanced in that direction and saw that Ilisidi herself was heading their way, accompanied only by Cenedi; Nawari and two others branched off in another direction. Ramirez shook his head.

“Just don’t bring your troubles here, Mr. Cameron. We need the planet’s resources. We don’t want its political troubles. We’ve got plenty of those without your help.” Bren nodded polite acknowledgment as Ramirez left, and Ilisidi approached.

“Geigi-ji, nand’paidhi,” she greeted them. “Conspiring with the senior captain now?”

“Sidi-ji,” Geigi said, bowing deeper than protocol would dictate for his new rank, an excessive politeness. Bren sympathized with him. “One is honored that you made such an arduous trip for this small honor.”

“Nand’dowager,” Bren said, also bowing lower than required.

“So formal, paidhi-aiji. And such a worried face. What could possibly be putting you so out of sorts?”

 _You know damned well what_ , Bren thought, but smiled instead, the polite, fake smile that he used regularly at court.

“One’s own staff and the aiji-dowager’s have been running certain security drills, as one is certain the dowager is aware. One is afraid the goings on have put one a little on edge, nand’dowager.”

Ilisidi smiled back, also her polite, fake smile, the one _she_ used in court, not the one that he saw at breakfasts on her balcony.

“We are, indeed, well aware, nand’paidhi. We hope you are able to get some sleep despite the goings on. You look over-tired.”

“One hopes to as well, aiji-ma. And will you be returning to the planet once the ceremonies have concluded?”  The shuttle was due to launch the day after the official ceremony, but with all three shuttles in commission, the flights were available three times as frequently, barring technical difficulties.

“Oh, not at all, paidhi-aiji,” Ilisidi said. “We have no pressing business on world for the next few weeks, and the shuttle flights are so unpleasant. We rather decided we would stay here on the station and make sure our associates are well. If you will excuse us, Geigi-ji.” She moved closer to Bren and took hold of his arm, compelling him to escort her away from Geigi, who looked, to Bren’s practiced eye, as confused as Bren felt, if that were possible. Bren looked to Banichi and Jago for rescue, but no, they were facing off with Cenedi— keeping him away from Bren? Jago flashed him a hand sign that meant ‘she is unarmed,’ as if that were Bren’s primary worry in this mess. Indeed, she had left her cane with Cenedi, and whether or not that was pretense it gave her a plausible reason for using Bren’s arm as support. He caught a few other Guild signs, clearly not aimed at him; one of them was “distraction.” A distraction right now would be welcome, he agreed.  Tano and Algini were also standing close by but appeared to be focusing on the crowd.

Jase was standing with Captain Ogun among a group of Phoenix crewmen on the far side of the room; it being Sabin’s shift, she was the only captain absent. Jase looked mildly alarmed; Yolanda was standing near him and she looked much the same. Yolanda and Jase were dating again, and Bren wondered how much Jase had told her. Despite best efforts in this informal setting, the crowd had divided itself strictly down species lines, atevi clustered to one side of the room, humans to the other, and the Mospheirans in their own little group. On one hand, it was a relief; people on the station had been trained to be wary of too much interaction and to leave the human-atevi interface to the paidhi-aiji and his staff. On the other hand, it left Bren with no chance of escape, no polite way out of Ilisidi’s grasp – none of the atevi or the ship folk would dream of approaching the aiji-dowager when she clearly had a mission and Geigi, as the star of the evening and now minus his translator, was already surrounded by his own guards, as well as some people that Bren did not recognize. 

Meanwhile, Ilisidi maneuvered Bren to the far side of the room— he wasn’t even sure how, considering that they both had bodyguards within arm’s reach. Banichi, Jago and Cenedi performing some sort of maneuvers that probably were codified in Guild protocol; the aiji-dowager clearly wanted the paidhi-aiji to herself and the paidhi’s guard was not to be within this or that number of paces of her unless they felt his life was in danger. At which point if the dowager did intend him harm, they would have to engage with Cenedi. He would probably never know the exact rules. But though Bren’s guard were clearly on alert, they did not give off the impression of being on alert against Cenedi and Ilisidi. 

Bren found to his dismay that Ilisidi had apparently contrived to wear shoes with a taller heel tonight or some other such thing because, though they were normally almost the same height, she managed to look down at him as she took his right hand in both of hers and stroked it solicitously. For such behavior at a formal atevi gathering, the Mospheiran social equivalent would have been her pushing him against the wall and tongue-kissing him. But he could not remove his hand from her grasp without making it look as though he were, indeed, spurning her.

“Aiji-ma,” Bren said, in a low voice, and watched the scandal bloom on every atevi face staring at them (most of those within view) as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. “You have put me in a position where there is no fortunate choice, but I would not dishonor Lord Geigi by causing a scene.” He paused. “More of a scene.”  Ilisidi laughed.

“Oh of course not, paidhi-ji,” she said, releasing his hand. “By no means.”

Bren put both his hands into his pockets, which was not appropriate for a formal event either, but it removed them from the list of possible targets.

“One does wonder, aiji-ma, what possible moves could be obfuscated by causing a scene on this particular day, in this particular place,” Bren said, still standing too close to her. Their guards could probably hear him, but he was certain no one else could.

“Pish,” Ilisidi said. “You are far too suspicious, Bren-ji. We have a reputation to maintain.”

“One is certain the aiji-dowager’s reputation is of greatest concern to all her people. The paidhi-aiji quite despairs of his own reputation.”

“Nonsense. Everyone will be impressed that you have apparently resisted my advances until this point.”

“One feels obligated to point out that you have, in fact, never even _asked_ me."

“We should,” Ilisidi said, finally giving him a real smile, one that the room at large could not see.  “We suspect your guard has taught you at least a few things over the last number of years.”  She glanced at Jago, at whom this barb was clearly aimed. Jago, on duty, said nothing, but gave the faintest ghost of a smirk.

“Aiji-ma,” Bren said, with a sigh. “Apart from Jase and Yolanda, none of the ship humans is going to be taking any great notice, or indeed know enough about atevi to be scandalized, though those two seem quite concerned for my well-being. I shall undoubtedly have to reassure them later. The Mospheirans all believe I’m completely insane for the associations I already hold within your grandson’s court. So, whom among the _atevi_ guests are you so intent upon shocking?”

Ilisidi raised her eyebrows.        

“Why, the man who wishes to kill Lord Geigi, of course.”

Bren stared at her in shock.

“I… what?” Bren looked up to the center of the room where, to his dismay, there was a commotion. He had been so focused on Ilisidi’s strange behavior that he hadn’t caught the change in noise level. Several of the dowager’s guard as well as several of Geigi’s were clustered around one of the atevi attendees, several more keeping the crowd away from the commotion, and Geigi’s remaining guards ushering him to a far corner. Captain Ramirez, Captain Ogun and Jase were all being walled off by their own guards, the civilians were generally clearing the area themselves, leaving a knot of Assassins’ Guild in the center of the room around the man who was apparently the source off all the concern.

“Do try to keep up, Bren-ji,” Ilisidi said sweetly.

 

*****

 

“Were you going to _tell_ me about any of this, nadiin-ji?” Bren confronted his aishid as soon as they were all safely in his own apartment.

“The man who was suspected of conspiring against Lord Geigi was not supposed to be at this event, Bren-ji,” Tano said. “Lord Geigi’s guard and the dowager's are investigating if there are any other persons involved, perhaps ones who helped him get into the reception.”

“How did such a person even get on the station in the first place? Screening has always been extremely rigorous for station workers.”

“He was in one of the earliest work groups, Bren-ji,” Banichi said. “He has been on the station for years, causing no trouble. It was only once Tabini-aiji announced that Lord Geigi would take control of the atevi half of the station that letters between this person and certain distant relatives in the Senjiin Marid came to light. Until Lord Geigi became involved with the station management, there was no concern over this person.”

“So, he somehow subverted the screening for the reception, and after getting in, attempted to approach Lord Geigi,” Bren said.

“At which point Cenedi and the aiji-dowager decided on a distraction that would get both the other high-ranking individuals out of the way,” Banichi confirmed.

Pieces dropped one by one into place. His guard hadn’t been calling for a distraction to save him from Ilisidi, Bren thought; Ilisidi’s causing a scene with him had _been_ the distraction.

“One still wishes you had told me about this before the event, nadiin-ji,” Bren said, shaking his head.

“You were already worrying about the aiji-dowager, Bren-ji,” Jago said. “If you had also been aware of the possible threat to Geigi it would have been evident and made everyone there wonder what you were afraid of.”

Bren was aware he was not the best at hiding his emotions, at least not from atevi, who seemed to be able to read him more than humans could these days.

“I would have been a liability to you and Lord Geigi’s guard, is that what you’re saying?” He tried not to sound offended and knew he probably failed.

“It is Guild business, Bren-ji. And the threat has been eliminated. Tomorrow’s ceremony should be able to proceed with no danger at all.”

 

     

That night Narani found a pebble in Bren’s bed.

It was still early, but Narani had come in to turn down the bed and assist Bren with his clothing, when Bren saw the old man pause visibly. He walked the few paces to the bed to look over Narani’s arm; there it was, one of the three pebbles. They were all different, Bren supposed, so that they could be easily identified by those involved, and—he suspected—so that they could not be substituted. This was the white one that looked like it might be made of quartz. Narani seemed frozen with surprise.

“Banichi!” Bren called, hitting the button on the intercom that would go straight to the security station. Banichi and Jago were at the door in moments, weapons in hand, and Narani showed them the pebble lying under the covers. Banichi swore under his breath. He took the stone, motioned to Jago to stay with Bren and took Narani out of the room, calling on his communications device for Algini to assemble the entire staff in the security station _now_.  Jago actually even checked over the chair in the corner with special equipment before urging Bren to sit in it while she stripped the bed down to the frame and checked over every inch of that as well. Then, apparently still not satisfied, she took the mattress out of the room entirely and replaced it with another, presumably from her own bed or that of one of the other staff.  Bren sat and watched, silent, wearing only his robe, feeling a trifle chagrined.

Banichi came back into the room, in no good mood, and looked at Bren in a very solemn fashion.

“Nandi,” Banichi said, “we have failed you.”

“No, you haven’t,” Bren said, exasperated.

“Nandi—“

“Banichi-ji, the game is over. It’s done.”

“It indicates a severe breach in security, nandi.”

“I am more concerned about the fact that we apparently have someone on the station who wants to assassinate Lord Geigi and _no one bothered to warn me_ , Banichi.”

“That matter has already been addressed, Bren-ji, as we told you."

"And the aiji-dowager has no real intention to harm me either, so everyone seems intent on reassuring me."

“We believed so, Bren-ji, but this intrusion—“

“I’m going to bed, Banichi-ji, in whatever bed you feel is most secure, if that will make you feel better, but as you said, it’s not my job to worry about it. I have every confidence in my staff. Just don’t arrest any of the staff tonight.”

“Nandi,” Banichi said, and fell silent.

Bren suspected none of his guard would sleep.

 

*****

 

The official ceremony for Lord Geigi’s appointment was scheduled the following night, on the notion that those workers who had been on shift during the previous afternoon engagement would be able to attend the second one.  Of course, for atevi purposes it was by no means the second ceremony, oh no, that would be infelicitous; it was an appointment ceremony whereas the previous day had been an informal reception luncheon, two entirely separate events and thus not subject to ill-omened numerology.

Ilisidi approached Bren almost at once after the formal speeches.

“You seem to be in better spirits today, Bren-ji, we are pleased to see,” Ilisidi said.

“Indeed, aiji-ma; a change of perspective beneficial to my well-being, I dare say.”

“Your guard however, seems even more on edge.”

“The strangest thing happened last night, aiji-ma,” Bren said, affecting a tone of innocent surprise. “They found a very unusual rock in my bed. It seemed to greatly upset the entire staff.”

Ilisidi’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“In your very bed, you say, paidhi-ji? No wonder they are so out of sorts.”

Cenedi was, as usual, close at hand. Solemn as he usually was, even he looked amused.

“I say, paidhi-ji, the next time you are on the planet,” Ilisidi began, but was interrupted by an angry human voice.

“Cameron, damn you, you deviant traitor! How long are we supposed to put up with—“

And that was as far as he got before almost a dozen Assassins Guild simultaneously sprang into action, Banichi and Jago putting themselves in front of Bren, Cenedi and Nawari forming a wall in front of the aiji-dowager, Geigi’s guard shoving him out of the way and Algini and Casimi tackling the human to the ground with a force that made Bren wince. It was Gaithings, the Mospheiran union representative. Who, from the words he was still managing to get out after being flattened by two massive atevi, was infuriated by Bren’s ‘flirtation’ with Ilisidi. At least, Bren thought in shock, as the other attendees fled to the edges of the room from the commotion of Guild in action, he was certain Algini hadn’t killed the man; not with the volume of vitriol coming from the man’s mouth, until Tano kneeled down and told the man, in Mosphei’, to be silent or they would render him unconscious.

“What is this?” Ilisidi demanded, irritated to be unable to see over the taller people surrounding her.

“Aiji-ma,” Bren said, a little breathless with the adrenaline rush, “one believes this gentleman takes offense at my close association with atevi in general, and at last night’s scandalous scene specifically.”  He half-listened to Gaithings ranting before Tano—true to his word, and with medical precision—knocked him out. “He seems also to misunderstand the nature of the dowager’s Filing against the paidhi-aijji, and believes my reckless behavior has put Mospheirans in general in danger from your displeasure, aiji-ma.”

“Ridiculous,” she snapped.

“He understands, at least, aiji-ma, that you are a force to be reckoned with.”

Ilisidi laughed.

 

 

The reception broke up not long after that, the excitement of Guild action and someone being arrested being rather hard to top. Gaithings went to medical, then to the improvised holding cells that usually sat empty on the station. Bren was relieved that they’d be able to ship him down to the planet at the next available opportunity. He was also relieved to be free of any large public events for the near future. He would be pleased to avoid them for a number of years if at all possible. His guard were somewhat less relieved and wanted Bren to stay in the security station while they did another sweep of his apartment. 

 “We still do not know who breached security to place the stone in your quarters, nandi,” Banichi said.

“I did, of course,” Bren said, a little smug and taking far too much satisfaction in the looks of shock his aishid gave him. “You didn’t figure it out?”

Silence from all four of them.

“Where did you get the pebble?” Jago asked, finally.      

“The aiji-dowager put it in my hand, that afternoon at the reception,” Bren said, and tried not to sound annoyed. “While she had me over in the corner and you and her guard were busy not telling me what was going on and being amused by the way she was embarrassing me in public.”

“You and the aiji-dowager were not supposed to be participants in the exercise, nandi,” Tano said, after another pause.

“The aiji-dowager makes her own rules,” Algini said thoughtfully. “One would do well to remember that.”

“I actually found it somewhat comforting,” Bren said.

“How so?” Banichi asked.

“I took her message as ‘If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.’ Instead she co-opted Cenedi’s ‘training exercise’ to make her point, that it was, indeed, a game,” Bren said.

“Or perhaps the game was the dowager’s idea from the beginning,” said Jago.

There was clearly some thought on that.

“News from Tabini-aiji, nandi,” Algini put in. “It seems Lord Caratho fell victim to an in-clan assassination. His brother by the same mother claims the lordship and has notified the Guild that he seeks no quarrel with the paidhi-aiji or his office.”

“We have received confirmation from the Guild that the aiji-dowager has cancelled the Filing against you, Bren-ji,” Banichi said.

 Bren gave a fleeting, pained thought to the way the sequence of events would look from the news that reached the planet: that the aiji-dowager had Filed on him, then gone to the station, then behaved scandalously with him at a public event, then at a second public event they were widely seen to have reconciled. After which she immediately cancelled the Filing.

“Of course she has,” Bren sighed. “She has gotten everything she wanted, as always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Almost titled "Games Assassins Play" but I promised Gina I'd try to name future fics after songs by the band Foreigner, and doing so makes me feel extra clever and hilarious and just generally tickles my sense of humor.
> 
> Set this one wherever you like in the six years between "Precursor" and "Defender." I hate making up character names, so I borrowed the troublesome Caratho from “Inheritor.” There’s discontinuity within the series about how the politics of the Guild work and if Tabini does or does not have to have the final say on Filings of Intent, so no corrections please; we ignore canon like men. 
> 
> The game with the pebbles is a flat-out shameless theft from one of Cherryh’s other books, “Cuckoo’s Egg,” (which is probably my favorite standalone book of hers, and one you should read immediately if you haven’t,) and honestly, I’m just pissed I didn’t think of using it sooner.


End file.
